Twin latch mechanism



Sept. 22, 1959 v. D. TOCCHETTO TWIN LATCH MECHANISM Filed March 28, 1955 U i d S a e Pate TWIN LATCH MECHANISM Virgil Dante Tocchetto, Montevideo, Uruguay Application March 28, 1955, Serial No. 497,146

1 Claim. (Cl. 292-37) This invention relates to a latching mechanism for doors, windows and the like which are known as door or window shutter bolts. In particular, the invention relates to locking means which are capable of locking doors and similar implements in their closed position. The locking means is released by pressing a push button, the door or implements being opened by pulling a handle, thereby swinging open the door or implements on their hinges.

It is an object of the invention to provide a locking mechanism which is built to bring the door, window or the like from open into closed and locked position by simply exerting pressure on the said door, window or the like. It is another object of the invention to provide an automatically bolting device which is actuated by a push button, an operating bar and a bolt-releasing member which are slidably guided as a unit in a bore of a pull handle fastened to a shutter whereby an inner collar in said bore possibly integral with said handle is acting to limit as well the bolt-releasing as also the retractory move of said unit the means of assembly therein being admissible when the push button is pressed down in the bore.

The invention is disclosed in detail by the following description in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which Fig. 1 illustrates in an elevational side view the parts of the invention in locking assembly, demonstrating in section the inner structure and function of the inventive mechanism,

Fig. 2 shows in perspective the actuating parts in nonoperating position,

Fig. 3 shows in perspective the actuating parts in operating position,

Fig. 4 shows a front view of a latch and its housing, said latch being in its locking position.

Fig. 5 shows a pull rod in detail, and

Fig. 6 is a front view of the base plate and of the door handle mounted thereon.

In the drawings, the same parts are defined by the same numerals where occurring in the various figures.

Referring now to Fig. 1, the closing means comprises a supporting base plate 1 suitable to be fastened to one of the two sides of a door (no-t shown), said plate carrying a door operating handle, shaped as a knob 2, advantageously showing an identation 2 to receive a pressing finger and at the bottom of the latter a central bore 3 of circular cross section in which push button 5 is slidably lodged. Button 5 is continued as a shaft 4 of somewhat smaller diameter, while bore 3 is recessed to create a hollow space, said space serving to receive expansion spring 7 which bears on the one hand against the step created by said recess and on the other hand against the button. The free end of operating bar 4 is cut down to show a semi-circular cross section is obtained. A lancetshaped chamferred blade 9 is fastened thereto by means of head-screw 10, so as to form an extension of the operating push button 5.

v 2,905,493 Patented .Sept- 22, 1959.

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The end portion 9 of said extension is of larger diamete than the rest of it to form a step 11 (Fig. 3). The end portion 9 is slidable in an enlarged end portion of central bore 3, which latter in its turn, forms a step 12, thereby limiting the return movement of push button 5 into the non-operative position it tends to take when the latches are looking. By the actuation of push button 5 cham-' ferred blade 9 too is actuated. When push button 5 is pressed, (see Fig. 3), the chamferred, cam-like edges 31, 32 of blade 9 act against two U-shaped parts, each. of them comprising a longer side portion 13, 13 and a shorter side portion 14, 14. The end of each of the latter is chamferred (15, 16) in accordance with chamfers 17 of blade 9, so that said chamfers abut each other. The said opposite U-shaped parts snugly by-pass end portion 9 and since they are under spring-action they form a guide for the pull rods described later in the specification.

Fig. 2 shows the position of end portion 9 in non-operative position corresponding to the locking position of the latches. As soon as push button 5 is pressed to release the latches, end portion 9 adopts the position shown by Fig. 3. Its shifting has now forced one of the U-shaped plates to rise and the other one to move downward by the mutual action of the cam-like parts, described above.

According to Fig. 1 each of the U-shaped parts has a rim at the end of its longer portion 13, 13 with the purpose to provide lugs (18, 18) suitable to receive pull rods 20, 20 which traverse said lugs 18, 18' respectively. The ends of said pull rods are threaded and carry nuts 21, 21' to secure said pull rods in their lugs. This arrangement allows for an adjustment of said pull rods with respect to their length (Fig. 5). The pull rods 20, 20' are also bent to form hooks 22, 22 at their outer ends, said hooks entering a slot 35 provided in an extension of a rear portion 30 of the door-locking latches 31 having a wedged end, the wedge being formed by its outer slanted surface 32. Since slot 35 is longer than the way pull rods 20, 20' are caused to travel and with hooks 22, 22 neighboring the inner end of said slot, push button 5 will stay unaffected when the latches are forced back in the course of the locking procedure. The latches are slidable within housings 24, which are provided with flanges 25 at either length side, said flanges having holes 26 therein, to provide a means to fasten them to the door. The housings 24 are open at their outer ends so that the latches 23, 23 may project beyond said housings or be retracted into them, as necessary during the locking procedure, or when push button 5 is pressed on. It may be readily seen from Fig. 1 that the two U-shaped parts are connected to the opposite latch by the appertaining pull rod, that is the longer side portion 13' of the upper U-shaped part is connected by pull rod 29 to latch 23 at the bottom of said figure. A baffle 33 is fastened to the latch within said housings which may be fastened to their front portion, thus dividing the interior of the housing into two approximately equal portions. A slotted bottom 28 at the inner end of the housing showing slots 29 is traversed by extension 30 of the latch. An expansion spring 34 is inserted in housing 24, said spring hearing as well against said bottom 28 as also against bafiie 33 by which arrangement spring 34 tends to throw the latch into its outward that is into its locking position.

By means of the inventive arrangement latches 23, 23' will perform a reciprocating movement when passing the door frame as the door is closed by hand pressure, to return to their outward positions thereafter, when entering their catches. Therefore, when the door is desired to close and thereby to lock, automatically, a simple pressure thereon will suffice to bring the slightly curved wedges 31, 32 behind the frame work of the opening and then into the catch. Springs 34 will give way when the latch is forced back by the closing procedure or by pressure on button but will always tend to return the latches into their locking posi on- To. op n a locked oor it is sufiicient. to press push. button 5 and to pull the. handle, When releasing pressure exerted against push button 5, it will return to its original position in which it is kept by the load of spring I, saidreturn movement e ng opped by steps 11, 12 respectivelv.

. As long as the. Pressure on the push button 5 lasts, end portion 9, via pull rods 20, 20' is retracting the latches against the load of springs 34, thus releasing the door- !Qck for this period, during which. pressure spring 7 w ll st y compressed as is p g 34. In this ay d two springs work together to retract push button 5 into its original position, By a structure of the inventive char acter which is easily to be produced it is possible to thoroughly avoid any pins or links as necessitated in other structures. It is obvious that many modifications may be applied to the illustrated embodiments without departing from the. spirit of this invention which is specified in principle in the. appended claims.

Having now fully described my invention and illustrated an embodiment thereof which I presently think to be. preferable, what I claim and wish to protect by Letters Patent is:

In a latch mechanism adapted for use on a closure, said latch mechanism having a twin latch consisting of identical bolt members spaced a distance from each other on one side of the closure, a sing on the closure for each bolt member and adapted to guide each bolt memher during latching and releasing movement, a handle fixed perpendicularly to the other side of the closure, said handle having a bore therethrough extending perpendicular to the closure, an opening in the closure in alignment with said bore, a bolt operating means mounted in said bore, said bolt operating means having an operating bar slidably mounted in said-bore, a push button on one end position.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 357,985 Frisbie Feb. 15, 1887 1,174,652 Banks Mar. 7, 1916 2,186,666 Cereda Jan. 9, 1940 FOREIGN PATENTS 175,957 Switzerland July 1, 1935 417,013 Italy Dec. 23, 1946 425,263 Great Britain Mar. 11, 1935 445,168 France June. 19, 1912 

